This invention relates to tire/lift carriers, like apparatus and installations thereof, featuring a cable type winch, embodying improvements providing significant advantage in the structure and function of its parts and rendering such devices more efficient and satisfactory in their use, economical to fabricate, more versatile as to their application. It also provides such apparatus with a longer life and a reduction in the amount of maintenance and replacement required for their operative parts.
A primary achievement of the invention is to solve problems heretofore existing in the art in respect to the application of such devices where the load to be lifted, lowered and/or carried thereby is other than essentially directly below and in line with the drum of the winch thereof. At the same time the invention provides elements for the improved guidance and control of the configuration of the lift cable of its embodiments which smooths the operation thereof as well as avoids what has heretofore been a source of its early fatigue in the practice of the prior art. Another important advance is evidenced by the provision of a new and improved overload clutch in the drive system or preferred embodiments of the invention, the release of which is more controlled and less abrupt than has heretofore been the case in the use of the prior art devices of this nature.
For purpose of illustration, but not by way of limitation as to the form of its embodiment or its application, the invention is here described with reference to a particular embodiment and installation thereof comprising a winch (or hoist) wherein the winch in use thereof is mounted to be essentially horizontal rather than vertical and the direction of its lift and carrier cable is other than simply vertical or in a straight line as it extends outwardly of its housing.
As far as those substantively involved in the presentation of this disclosure are aware, the only prior art truly pertinent to this invention is subject of Application for U.S. Pat. No. 554,278 filed Nov. 22, 1983, and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,136, which is a continuation of a prior filed, heretofore copending, Application Ser. No. 277,088 the filing date of which was June 25, 1981, and now abandoned. While not truly pertinent to the points of novelty of the present invention it is nevertheless noted for the record that the art cited in the prosecution of the aforesaid Application Ser. No. 277,088, now abandoned, consists of the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ Name U.S. Pat. No. Date ______________________________________ Setsuo Yasue 4,249,682 Feb. 10, 1981 et al R. Rongley 4,222,246 Sep. 16, 1980 S. Yasue et al 4,174,797 Nov. 20, 1979 H. Iida 4,059,197 Nov. 22, 1977 Y. Watanabe 3,874,536 Apr. 1, 1975 S. Yasue et al 3,856,167 Dec. 24, 1974 H. Paul 3,539,152 Nov. 10, 1970 B. G. Hadley 3,352,508 Nov. 14, 1967 R. S. Perlini 3,088,689 May 7, 1963 J. A. Harrington 2,894,610 July 14, 1959 O. J. Muller 939,734 Nov. 9, 1909 ______________________________________